InsureMyTrip and Hopper Announce Busiest Airports This Thanksgiving
Based on data, travelers can make smarter choices about their travel plans and a travel insurance purchase.

In an effort to help empower travelers to make more informed decisions when it comes to 2018 Thanksgiving travel plans, Hopper and InsureMyTrip research teams reveal what airports and flights to avoid, the best time to buy, and how the latest data trends can aid travelers when comparing travel insurance benefits.

Summary
The data revealed the following trends for Thanksgiving 2018:
• Busiest day to depart for Thanksgiving: Wednesday, November 21
• Busiest day to return from Thanksgiving: Sunday, November 25
• Top Busiest Airports & Times (local time):

The busiest day to depart for the Thanksgiving holiday this year is Wednesday, November 21, while the busiest day to return is Sunday, November 25.

This is the list of the busiest airports for Thanksgiving, based on total departing passengers and volume of scheduled departures:

Rank

Airport

City

Scheduled Outbound
Passengers

Busiest Time
(local time)

1

ATL

Atlanta

1,263,168

8:00 am

2

LAX

Los Angeles

1,074,752

7:00 am

3

ORD

Chicago

1,057,482

6:00 pm

4

DFW

Dallas

828,891

9:00 am

5

DEN

Denver

787,629

10:00 am

6

JFK

New York

781,953

6:00 pm

7

SFO

San Francisco

714,796

12:00 pm

8

CLT

Charlotte

614,779

8:00 am

9

MCO

Orlando

603,100

6:00 am

10

SEA

Seattle

590,938

6:00 am

11

LAS

Las Vegas

585,395

8:00 am

12

PHX

Phoenix

572,981

10:00 am

13

EWR

Neward

571,303

5:00 pm

14

IAH

Houston

551,436

5:00 pm

15

MIA

Miami

548,175

10:00 am

16

BOS

Boston

509,491

6:00 am

17

FLL

Fort Lauderdale

475,635

8:00 am

18

DTW

Detroit

426,725

7:00 am

19

MSP

Minneapolis

426,900

2:00 pm

20

LGA

New York

393,599

10:00 am

21

PHL

Philadelphia

384,000

7:00 am

22

BWI

Baltimore

365,379

7:00 am

23

DCA

Washington, DC

323,566

4:00 pm

24

SAN

San Diego

312,840

9:00 am

The busiest airports for Thanksgiving week, based on the volume of scheduled departures.

While the Thanksgiving travel period is a busy time of year, airlines are improving on-time performance track record. Airlines reported the lowest percentage of canceled flights last year and the highest on-time performance ranking since at least 2009.

Year

Total Flights

On Time

Delayed

Canceled

2009

199,280

88%

12%

0.40%

2010

204,172

81%

18%

0.83%

2011

187,088

85%

14%

0.74%

2012

173,469

86%

13%

0.57%

2013

197,013

78%

21%

1.29%

2014

180,929

79%

20%

0.87%

2015

181,512

84%

15%

0.93%

2016

177,471

85%

15%

0.25%

2017

178,139

89%

11%

0.20%

Best Protection For Flight Delays

Based on these data results, travelers can make smarter choices about their travel plans and travel insurance purchases. For example, passengers with departing flights at busier airports are more likely to utilize a travel delay benefit and, therefore, may want to compare travel insurance policies with better delay protection.

"If travelers are made aware of the probability of delays, they can then use that data to help them compare travel delay benefits when considering a travel insurance purchase," says InsureMyTrip Intelligence Analyst Danny DeMello.

Travel delay benefits vary with each travel insurance provider, generally between a 5 and 24-hour window. The benefit is designed to provide reimbursement for reasonable meals and accommodations while unable to travel.

Tip: Travelers must be delayed for a certain number of hours before this benefit can be applied. When comparing travel insurance, look for the minimum delay time (typically, starting at 5 hours) to start qualifying for coverage as soon as possible.

Best Protection For Delayed Bags

Travelers may also want to ensure baggage delay coverage is included under a selected comprehensive travel insurance plan. Baggage delay coverage generally becomes active after belongings have been delayed for a specified period of time, typically 12 or 24 hours.

Tip: When comparing travel insurance, look for a maximum per-person coverage amount as well as a per-day limit. For example, some policies may offer $500 per person to purchase incidentals, but only allow $200 to be spent per day.